Hoof Nutrition Intelligence Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is a twice-a-month web segment that is designed to add to the education of footcare professionals when it comes to effectively feeding the hoof. The goal of this web-exclusive feature is to zero in on specific areas of hoof nutrition and avoid broad-based articles that simply look at the overall equine feeding situation.

Below you will find Part 2 of the latest question and answer installment that you can share with your footcare clients.

Q: How important is it to manage sugar in a horse’s diet and does this have any impact on hoof health?

By Shannon Pratt-Phillips

While sugar is an important energy compound, it should be fed to horses with great care.

Too much starch and sugar in a horse’s diet may directly (via digestive tract overload) or indirectly (insulin resistance) negatively affect hoof health and place a horse at risk for laminitis. Be sure to feed all ingredients containing sugar carefully.

Shannon Pratt-Phillips specializes in equine nutrition at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C.

Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is brought to you by W.F. Young Co. (Absorbine). Absorbine

Like many significant achievements, Absorbine® grew out of humble beginnings—and through the tenacity of someone willing to question the status quo. In this case, it was a young woman in late 19th-century Massachusetts: Mary Ida Young. Her husband, Wilbur Fenelon Young, was an enterprising piano deliveryman who relied on the couple’s team of horses to make deliveries throughout the Northeast. Inspired by Mary Ida and Wilbur’s vision, Absorbine® has continued to add innovative products throughout the years — products used every day by horse owners around the world. Which is why, since 1892, we’ve been The Horse World’s Most Trusted Name®.

Click here to read Part 1 of the July 15, 2017 installment: I saw several horses come down with pasture-associated laminitis. How do I avoid this concern next spring?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.